Day 20 Count Down to Funky 55

Today is about outer wear and being outside living the good life. And being outside sometimes requires a sweater and this green one is an all time favorite of mine. This photo is taken for me by my dear sweet brother at Yesterways Cottage. While I am doing this Count Down to Funky 55 anyone is fair game to be pressed into service for my photography needs. He was in town for a medical appointment at the VA and dropped by to say hello. We hand a grand time going to lunch and shopping. We both love shopping a little too much, especially for two people who really don't need anything at all. So we exercised restraint and stuck to consumables and few necessaries, so we behaved ourselves.

The black trellis behind the rose bush is actually two old metal bed ends that have been repurposed. I think they look rather smart and it keeps them out of the landfill. I was thrilled to see this rose bush bloom. It was wild and unruly and you couldn't use the walks because it was hanging out over them with its thorny limbs so I chopped it down hard to just the basic stem. My thinking was it would regrow and I could train it the way I wanted. After I was done and saw how severe I had cropped it, I was frightened I had killed it. But it bounced back and has more blooms than ever in the two years we have been here.

Now getting on about the green sweater, it was an internet purchase I made around 8 years ago. Hard to believe it has been that long but I know I had it in 2006 and I thought I had it before that. I used to wear it when I was flying regularly to visit my Marine husband when he was stationed at Quantico, VA. That was a long 3 years flying back and forth for one visit a month but we made the most of those 4 to 10 days. It was like having a vacation every month.

People at the airports LOVED this sweater and would make a point to call out to me and tell me how much they loved it. Once is a while I would get someone that would reach out and touch it but not often. I ordered it on ebay from a shop in Japan. You take a gamble buying things sight unseen but I was very very pleased that this was everything I hoped it would be. As you can see, it has the fake fur collar in green to match the knitted sweater portion. The closures are loops with green buttons shaped like claws or fangs. The shaggy bits decorating the sleeves and under the closures is square bits of contrasting knit cloth that has been cut raggedly to create a fringe effect. I do have to be careful at times so that it doesn't pull a bit of fringe off but in the 8 years that I've had it, it looks as good as the day I took it out of the package. Definitely one of my all time favorite funky pieces.

This photo was taken in 2009 on one of my trips to Quantico to see hubs while he was stationed there. You can see the closures a bit better here. Yep, I was still dying my hair black at that time -- just wasn't ready to give up to the grey yet back then. We were at Williamsburg the day this photo was taken. We had a great day wandering around reviewing our country's founding history. I especially loved the drum and fife corp. I could have run along beside them all day had I not gotten winded from the cold. Well, it might not have been the cold that made me winded but that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I will never concede that I was overweight and out of shape. LOL

And that is Day 20 of Count Down to Funky 55.

Just for fun, here's a few more photos from my trip to Williamsburg that day:

Chasing along after the Drum and Fife Corp.

Standing outside the Print Shop. You can see my *invisible* glasses here. I had totally forgotten every having them. Wonder what I did with them. They were really cool but fragile....

Behind the Gaol door. I have to wonder how that was pronounced. Did it sound like *jail*?

Of course a military man would want to see the armory. And boy was it stocked But it's no small wonder there are so many guns, they were flint lock rifles so likely single shot. Plus, this armory had to provide for the militia for the surrounding area also which is why so many weapons. To me, it was neat to see.

And that is it for Day 20 Count Down to Funky 55. Just 35 more days to go. :)

Bright Blessings,

Rayven Michaels